The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-25


the singing by the choir and congrega
ton of the hymn:
Great God, attend while Zion sings.
The spectacle of the rising of the vas
mass of humanity-every individual O.
the immense assembly standing at thu
request of the presiding officer-was one
which will not soon be forgotten by those
present, and the singing, Joined in by
the majority, was sound that will rine
long in the ears of the multitude which
participated.
Prayer by Elder II. G. Bywater.
Singing by the choir of the hymn:
Softly beams the sacred dawning
Of the great Millennial morn.
ELDER ELIAS MORRIS realized that ii
was a trying ordeal for him to stand
before so large congregation and
attempt to address them; yet he was
pleased with the knowledge he possessed
of the principles of the gospel, He
desired to aid, by his words, the Saints
toprogress in the work of salvation. He
briefly alluded to his early training and
to the time when he embraced the Cos
pei, saying he always had reverence for
| religion; was taught to honor his
parents and his God, and when the
elders of Israel visited the home of his
childhood, he listened to their teachings
and Investigated the doctrines they pro-
mulgated. The first sermon he heard
touched his heart and he was straight
way converted and Immediately bap-
tized. AS soon as he was confirmed a
member of the church. his nearest rela-
tives and dearest friends at once became
his bitterest enemies; be was Stunned
and ostracised as being unworthy to
associate with them. This conduct
appeared strange to him, and on his
lnquiring the reason, he was informed
that it was because he had Joined the
Mormon Church. He was convinced.
afterward, that it was because he had
received the truth. To those who
affirmed that he had embraced delu-
sion he extended an invitation to show
him whereof the delusion consisted.
From then until now he had never been
shown that he had accepted error and
talsehood IN place of the principles of
the gospel of the Son of God. elder
Morris thought it strange that among
the thousands and tens of thousands
there was none able to convince the
Latter-day Saints that they were wrong.
He bore a powerful testimony to the
truth of the work in which he was
engaged. While young he taught the
principles he had received to his parents
who were subsequently baptized, and
obtained testimony for themselves; so
with his brothers.. He declared that the
work was onward and that no
power was able to stay its prog
ress, and the Saints would come out
right in the end; but they must live by
every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God, be more upright and
faithful. The outlook was probably
dark and gloomy, but the Lord was
moving for the good of his chosen child. !
rem. He saw a wide field of labor for
the elders among the people of the Ter
rltory, as much so as there was in a |
mission to foreign lands. He regretted |
to say that many were straying from |
the fold, who should be labored with. |
He thought that home missionaries had !
an extensive labor before them. in re- |
the Saints "at home" The
priesthood and organization of the |
church were perfect and to the close OBJ. |
server were beautiful, sublime. He il !!
lustrated the plan of government |
adopted and in working order through |
out every community in Utah, and |
how the wards were presided over and |
for the benefit and advance |
ment OF those Lying in those divisions |
of the community. The duties of the !
teachers, priests and elders were re-
ferred to and those holding the lesser
strongly exhorted to per- |
form them; their responsibilities were |
great, Elder Morris said, and if they |
attended to their duties, there would be |
a different condition of affairs among !
the neople to-day. He referred to the |
conduct OF many who were termed !
'hoodtums, whose actions had become !
such that they were regarded with |
dread. They had degenerated through !
neglect and carlessness ON the part of |
those who should have seen to their
u elfare and instructed them in the WAYS |
of lie and the principles of righteous |
ness. He made fersent reference to the |
field now open at home for the elders of !
Israel, and impressively referred TO the |
young men who were ready and willing |
to engage in the work of the Lord for |
the salvation of mankind, at home and !
abroad The counsels of God and the |
of the gospel were suffi : |
Gent to thwaTt the designs of the peo-
PIES enemies, if the SAINTS would OBJ
serve them and live accordingly.
When he landed in America, in 80. |
his heart leaped with Joy; he believed
he had entered the land of the greatest
government on the earth, land of free
dom, which had welcome for all. He
thought it would ever be the same, and
that all would be allo wed to worship
God according to the dictates of con-
but he incurred at the change !
which had oeen wrought in the nation
since that time. He claimed to be a
Christian, that the gospel taught by the
Latter-day Saints was perfect in its
every details. What were the Saints if
they were noe Christians? They be-
lieved in Christ, that he died for the
sins of the world and in every principle |
He taught. How much more could any
other people claim2 Yet because they !
differed on one point, and one point |
only, they were being prosecuted. |
There were hundreds of thousands |
to be servants of the Most |
High. crying that the Saints were de- |
luded. Here in Utah there was a vast I
field for them TO minister in. Why ]
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